Mayors from Chatham, London, Sarnia and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, met for the first of what they say will be a series of meetings to discuss common issues. First on the agenda was the potential for high-speed rail for southwestern Ontario and establishing a collective response regarding the impact and benefit to the region. A federal report released earlier this year recommended an option to end the proposed link in Toronto instead of continuing on to Windsor, citing financial viability. This suggestion prompted response from each Mayor individually and set the stage for the talks between them.

Following the meeting Mayor Randy Hope, Chatham-Kent, said "Our municipalities have much in common and what affects one affects all. It only makes good sense for us to talk and combine our voices so they might be heard more clearly in Toronto and Ottawa. We want to include more of the municipalities from the region and we are planning to extend an invitation to their leaders in the new year."

London's Mayor Joe Fontana joined the meeting by telephone and said he was pleased with the results. He said, "Today we put highway and rail transportation links on the table for discussion and this is a great start. We need to work cooperatively and identify mutual goals."

The mayors said they also plan to approach mayors in Quebec to find common cause and understanding within the coming weeks.